We Are Warriors
by brokegirl97
Summary: Will has known one thing; If it's a Demon or a Downworlder; you kill. Trained in Idris, Will Herondale is the best Shadowhunter; warriors sworn to protect. What happens when will get's a new target: A young girl who doesn't know what she is and is threatened by something dark? Torn between love and duty, Will needs to make a decision. Will he follow his heart or his mandate? A/U
1. Prologue

**Okay, so. I haven't written in a very long time. I already have another one on the go that I have writers block for and so I feel like if I write this one then I may get some inspiration and go on some sort of writing frenzy. So here is the prologue for my new story for The Infernal Devices, please let me know what you think. At this moment in time, the second chapter is being written. Thank you in advance and please review.**

.x.

 **WE ARE WARRIORS**

 **PROLOGUE – WELCOME TO THE INSTITUTE**

We Shadowhunters are the only hope humanity has left. Since the beginning of time, we have worked to fight off the creatures that threaten these defenceless mundanes. We stumble upon the Downworlders of the world who lurk in the shadows and we exterminate them, for it is our job. Our duty. Our mandate. It is our legacy. And the legacy will be left behind for the next generation of Shadowhunters. They will know the truth of our kind and how important it is to protect mundanes. This legacy has been going on for centuries.

Since the great war, we have learnt that no Downworlder or Demon can be trusted. They are to be eliminated from this world for they cause more damage than good. They want to expose themselves to mundanes; take their lives, their souls, even their bodies. Some use them for blood sacrifices, others as food. Some even use them for possession.

The Clave, the keepers of The Codex and upholders of our laws, have enforced a new training program, where we train only the best Shadowhunters. They will learn to become Warriors. They will police the land of Idris, searching for Downworlders and Demons with a bounty on their heads. They will find them and they will kill them. And when they have finished their training they come here to keep up with their skills, to learn the area to which they are assigned to, and to receive their next target from the Head.

This is the place where you are protected. This is the place where you fight. This is the place where it all begins.

Welcome to the Institute.

 **.x.**

 **Well, that is the prologue. Please let me know your initial thoughts on the story. It's completely an alternated universe yet it is still set mainly in Victorian London and some other places in England.**

 **-Brokegirl97**


	2. Chapter One

**Okay Chapter One! I've had this chapter going for quite some time now and I've opened and closed it so many times, tweaked it the smallest amount and I think I'm ready to submit it. Please like, follow and review! Thank you in advance.**

 **.x.**

 **Chapter One**

The stale smell of blood in the air filled Will's nostrils. Seraph blade in hand, he crept his way through the door of the small house of the village in North Yorkshire looking for the Oni demon terrorising the villagers. The Silent Brother of the village had sent word to the Institute of the Demon making a mess of the place and Charlotte, the Head of the Institute, had sent William Herondale, the best of the Shadowhunters, to investigate and kill the Oni demon. Will tracked the demon to this house, the home of a normal mundane family. The father was a woodcutter and the only provider for this large family with four children. The oldest of the children, a young boy around the age of 15, lay cold dead on the floor in front of Will.

"By the Angel, it's killed already," he whispered to himself.

Will bit back the smell that was rising in his nose. He gagged and covered his mouth with his arm, holding his seraph blade in the other.

A noise from the back of the house alerted Will to his natural senses. He raised his seraph blade in hand and made his way through the stench of the demon's victims. He found himself in the kitchen. All the cabinets were open and some doors were hanging from its hinges, the dishes were mostly smashed and on the floor. As Will made his way further into the kitchen he saw the father on the floor with his axe shattered next to him. Mundane weapons are no match for the demons of the Shadow World.

To the right of Will, the sudden movement of the closet door handle shuddered, as if someone was trying to open it from the other side. Will raised his seraph blade and placed his hand on the doorknob, and with a rush swung the door open, only to find the youngest of the four children, huddled under the corner with the wooden broom, tears streaming down her young pale face. She flinched when she saw Will with the seraph blade poised to her chest. He reacted as quickly as he could not to scare her, but the young girl was so freaked out, she was shaking.

"It's alright," whispered Will, calmingly, "I'm not going to hurt you. What's your name?" he asked.

The young girl sniffed, but seeing the calmness and sincerity in Will's blue eyes, she complied, "Lily."

Will conjured a smile, "It's nice to meet you Lily. I'm Will," he said, "Did you happen to see a big green monster with large brown horns on its head, like this?" Will tried to appeal to the little girl's playful side by making horn shapes with his fingers on top of his head. It didn't work and Will stopped immediately.

"Look Lily, I'm going to get you out of here but I need you to tell me something, can you do that?" Lily nodded, with a tear falling down her face. Will continued, "Is the monster still here?"

Lily nodded, slowly although mesmerised by something else. Something behind Will's shoulder. And then Will realised.

"It's behind me, isn't it?" he asked.

Again, the girl slowly nodded and raised her hand to point behind Will's shoulder. Will got his seraph blade ready and could hear, and smell, the demon behind him, snarling over his shoulder. Will felt the dribble of spit fall onto his black coat and he rolled his eyes, before swinging the blade behind him, intending to slice the demon open.

The demon backed up and growled from his wide mouth. The young girl released an ear screeching sound from her mouth, almost shattering Will's ear drums. He drowned out the sound and advanced on the demon, which used its limbs to swipe Will to the other side of the room, slamming him into the broken cabinets, completely splintering the wood. Will knew he would have to use an _iratze_ rune to heal the bruises. The demon made his way towards the young girl who didn't know what to do; she was stuck in the broom closet. Will swung over the table and drove his seraph blade through the back of the Oni demon before it reached the young girl. She screamed even louder and the demon evaporated in black smoke and golden sparks, but the girl couldn't stop crying, even when Will took her into her arms and carried her out of the house, averting her eyes from her family on the floor.

A crowd had formed outside the house of on-looking mundanes wanting to know what's happening. A woman, who looked to be in her mid-fifties, with streaks of grey hair escaping from her bun, cried when she saw Lily, and took her from Will's arms, probably a neighbour or a concerning member of the village. Will got his breath back and looked around at the faces staring at him. They knew of the Shadowhunters. But they were more scared of his race than thankful. Mainly because when they saw a Shadowhunter in their village, they knew that something bag was going to happen, or is already happening.

In the distance he could see the Silent Brother that overlooks the village, the one who informed Charlotte of the Oni demon. Will knew what he was thinking, even without him talking to him through his mind. He nodded at the Silent Brother to indicate that the job was done and that the threat was no more. The Silent Brother turned and with a second he was gone.

Will surveyed the scene before him and wondered what would happen to the small girl crying in the woman's arms. The local priest would have to take care of her, or another relative (if she had one) would have to take her in. If anything, she may have to go to the orphanage.

Will shook his head and took to his horse Balios.

* * *

The Institute. The home of the Shadowhunters. Where they train, eat, learn and sleep. Not necessarily in that order. Will galloped up to the stables around the side of the Institute where he met Thomas to receive Balios. Poor Balios; he was all tuckered out when Will handed him to Thomas that he received a scowl from the young stable boy. Will couldn't stand to stay at that village any longer, so he went straight home and rode Balios all through the night. He knew he would have to speak to Charlotte and report on his findings and what the mission entailed.

He found her in her study, hunched over a desk with a single candlelight. Charlotte Branwell was a small little thing, with dark brown hair and eyes. She was thin yet had a small pretty face. She always reminded Will of the Shakespeare quote ' _Though she be but little, she is fierce_.' Will leaned against the door frame and knocked, drawing her attention away from her papers.

"Ah, William. I wasn't expecting you until this afternoon," she beckoned, moving her papers to the side and taking her glasses off. Will took a seat in front of her desk and waited. "So," she continued, "I trust that the mission was a success?"

Will made a small smile, "Yes...and no."

Charlotte looked confused, "I don't follow." She watched as Will rubbed his hands along his face and to the back of his neck. "Not all missions go the way we want them to, Will."

"If I had gotten there earlier then maybe the mission would have been more of a success," he sighed. "I found the house and when I got inside, the only survivor was the little girl in the broom closet, who was barely six years old and is now an orphan. Charlotte, in every mission we are told to try and reduce mundane casualties and I could have reduced them."

"Will there's no way you could have done anything. You did what you did and that young girl is alive because of you. She has the rest of her life to look forward to. Do not beat yourself up about this."

Will sighed and ran his hands through his hair, "I guess you're right." He smiled, "I need to make the formal report on this, don't I?"

Charlotte nodded, "Did you speak to the Silent Brother before you left?" she asked.

Will recalled nodding to the Silent Brother and watched him disappear, "Ah, I didn't get a chance to but he is fully aware of what happened."

"Alright," Charlotte replied, "It's strange," she wondered.

Will's head shot up, "What's strange?"

Charlotte stood up and took to the window, facing towards the village down below full of the mundane citizens. "Has it ever occurred to you that there seems to be a rise in demon activity across the country. The Consul is wondering whether the Institute can keep up with all the S.O.S letters from the Silent Brothers. And demons are targeting mundane families. And more Downworlders are showing up in letters; more than the usual. "

Will looked down at his hands, thinking about the young girl. "Well isn't that our job; to kill them before they do any harm?"

"Hmm," replied Charlotte, in thought, "We shall contact the Silent Brother of the village, he would have seen the demon. We need to get more information about how the demon was choosing its victims, and if there are any rumours from neighbouring villages about further activity. There may have been something that we missed."

Will understood and was thankful for the new mission. "I shall prepare Balios and leave right away."

"I don't think that's a good idea, you've just got back and Balios need's his rest. As do you. I'm surprised you got back in the morning; clearly you have been riding all night." She took her seat at the desk, "Get some rest," she continued, "I shall write to the Silent Brother asking if there is more information and if so then he will come to the safety of the Institute. And if he does, then I shall like to be present."

Will nodded, "As you wish, Charlotte."

"So, return to your room, write up your report and get some sleep. I have another job for you when you awake." She smiled that motherly smile she always has.

Will was thankful for the rest. His eye lids fluttered from exhaustion and his muscles ached from fighting. His thighs were sore from the ride with Balios. Will hated being saddle-sore.

When Will reached his room, he removed his gear and dumped it on the book filled chair in the corner next to his personal bookshelf. Will's a book enthusiast but just didn't like to share it. No one went into Will's room. Except for Jem, Will's best friend. Actually, they're more than best friends, their parabatai – warriors who lay down their lives for each other and assist each other in battle. Unfortunately, on Will's last mission with the Oni demon, Jem could not accompany him due to his health. Will promised himself that he will check up on Jem during dinner.

Will placed the _iratze_ rune on his scratches and bruises, helping them to heal quicker and was thankful for the soft feathers in his pillow as they aided him to drift off to sleep in record time.

* * *

When Will woke from his nap, there was a case file on his desk that Sophie had already put there for him. Will dressed and took the case file. When he picked it up, he felt the strong ache in his stomach from lack of food. He decided to head down to the kitchen, taking the case file with him. He was ready for his next mission...but he was already ready for some food.

The kitchen at the Institute was moderately big and the home of one lady named Agatha, the Institute's cook. She was kind, yet if you told her you didn't like her food, she'd probably punch you. Her food is good, and was the one thing Will was looking forward to as he almost ran down the stairs.

The dining room was prepared with the finest silver imported from china, and Jem sat in a single chair, eating some beef stew and writing at the same time. Will was surprised to see him out of his room. He was under strict orders from the house maid, Sophie, to stay in bed while she takes care of him. In a way, Will was happy that he must be recovering.

But it always made Will slightly sad to see him, as Jem was terminally ill due to a poisonous effect of a drug from a demon in his early life. It also changed Jem's appearance; Silver, light eyes and wispy silver hair to match the colour of the drug. Because the demon tortured Jem into taking so much of the drug, _yin fen_ , he cannot live without it; otherwise it weakens him and shortens his life at a rapid rate. But taking the _yin fen_ makes Jem feel stronger, however the drug kills him slowly.

Will grabbed himself a bowl of the same stew, some bread and sat opposite Jem at the table, flopping his case file next to him. He noticed he was actually writing music notes, probably a new song for his violin.

"How's the inspiration coming along?" Will asked, already tucking into the stew. Jem hadn't taken his eyes off the sheet music. "Shouldn't you be resting due to your recovery process?" he asked.

Jem smiled still looking at his music sheet, "I am resting. There is nothing wrong with me leaving my room, coming downstairs for dinner and doing something that occupies me whilst I wait for my parabatai to come home," said Jem, and looked up, "but you came this morning. And, like the man you are, you travelled all night on Balios and have probably only had five hours sleep since you returned."

"More than I need, normally," Will replied with a smile.

Jem gave a sigh of defeat and finally looked up at Will, "I think you're an idiot for doing that, but I'm sure you had good reason. Shoot."

Will took a spoonful of his stew and made a face. He added some salt.

"Will, say it," demanded Jem, clearly realising he was stalling.

As he took the spoon in his mouth, he smiled. "I needed to get out of there as soon as possible; I couldn't stay at the Inn in the village."

Jem gave him an apologetic smile, "You want to talk about it?" he asked.

Will took a moment and then shook his head, "Not really, it will all be in my report...when I write it and give it to Charlotte."

"You haven't written your report yet?" asked Jem, shocked. "You need to follow protocol, Will. It should be the first thing you do when completing a mission."

Will ripped off a piece of bread and dipped it into his beef stew, "I'll get around to it," he said, dipping the bread in the stew, fully aware that Jem was raising his eyebrows at him. "How are you feeling anyway?" he asked, changing the topic.

Jem sighed, "I've been taking the yin fen as usual, slept for more than twenty-four hours and poor Sophie has made eighteen trips to my room just to make sure that I had water...and that I hadn't escaped."

Will cocks an eyebrow, "But you're sat here, eating stew."

"I managed to get away ten minutes before you arrived; Sophie was doing her rounds throughout the Institute bedrooms delivering fresh linens."

"Sneaky devil!" Will proclaimed, proud of his parabatai.

Jem laughed, "As much as I admire Sophie and her work here at the Institute, I just couldn't stay in my room, I was going mad."

"Perhaps, since you're feeling better and back to your old, strong self, you should to go on a mission," Will replied, "Go speak to Charlotte about it, I've just got a new case here." Will motioned towards the case file next to him on the table.

Jem smiled, "She wouldn't allow that. She needs a health report from a Silent Brother before I go back in the field. Anyway, whats this one about."

Will put down his stew and opened up the case file. After pondering it for a few seconds with furrowed brows, he finally said, "It's a case in the outskirts of North London. A village within Bishop's Wood. Brother Enoch has detected a young warlock girl. Funny thing is, she doesn't bare any warlock mark on her, which is curious."

"Some warlocks have very subtle marks on their body. Perhaps you just can't see it," replied Jem, still focusing on his music.

Will shook his head, "No, the Brother would have found one by now. In his letter he states that she appears mundane, yet he can sense demonic energy coming from the house she resides in. She's the only one Brother Enoch has seen so he's assuming it is her. Either way, he wants a Shadowhunter to investigate."

Jem looked up, with slight sorrow in his face. "You're not leaving for there now, are you? It's a little late for a mission."

Will smiled at his parabatai, "Of course not, I shall be staying the night and having breakfast with you all in the morning. Besides, I can't go before I finish my report from the last mission. Speaking of which, I should probably go and do that right now, otherwise I will have little Charlotte on my back. The woman may be small but she is a feisty little thing." Will stood, scooting his chair away and gathering his case file, "I wonder if she's sent that letter yet." He more said that to himself rather than to Jem, but when Jem gave him a look of confusion, he simply said, "I'll tell you about it later. In fact, it will be in my report. Finish your stew."

* * *

The struggle of running an Institute always got to Charlotte, but she knew she wouldn't have been given this position from the Clave if she couldn't handle it. But as the letters from Silent Brothers from the surrounding villages keep flooding her desk, and Charlotte having to sort them by urgency, then assigning the correct Shadowhunter for the task, always puts Charlottes job as Head of the Institute at risk.

All of a sudden, a silver tray with a tea set appeared on Charlotte's desk, knocking her out of her concentration. Charlotte looked up and found her house maid, Sophie pouring her a cup of tea.

"You work too hard, Mrs. Branwell," said Sophie, her voice filled with consideration, "You should take a break and have some tea." She set the tea on the table and pushed it gently towards her, inclining for her to take it.

Charlotte took it, "I know, but there are so many cases coming up and not enough Shadowhunters to do it. I'm having to write letters to other Institutes, asking them if they can spare Shadowhunters. So far, I have two brothers coming from the Institute in Alicante. They are around the same age as Will and Jem. At least we'll have some more power here at the Institute."

Sophie poured herself a cup of tea, "I shall prepare two more bedrooms for their arrival. When will they be here?" she asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon. I shall make the announcement during breakfast in the morning to the others," Charlotte replied, still sorting through the case files. "How's Jem doing?" she asked.

She heard Sophie sighed, "I would assume better." When Charlotte cocked her eyebrow at her, Sophie continued, "I did my usual rounds about the Institute and when I went back to check up on him, he was gone. Turned out he went to the dining hall and had dinner. Guess I was over-caring to a point of total madness." She let out a small laugh.

"Oh Sophie, you do so much for the institute. Don't beat yourself up about it, I'm sure Jem appreciated what you've done for him, and in any case I'm sure he loves your company."

At that comment Sophie blushed and proceeded to sipping her tea, hiding her red face behind her cup.

 **.x.**

 **Well there you have it. The first chapter. Yes, the mundanes are aware of the Shadowhunters, I wanted to explore what like may have been like if they were aware of the half human, half angel warriors. Would be pretty cool! Anyway, please review and tell me what you think. Chapter two is being written as we speak so that should be getting done very soon!**

 **-Brokegirl97**


	3. Chapter Two

**Okay so positive feedback, that's a good sign. So here is the next chapter for you guys. Thank you for following, favouriting and reviewing this story so far! :D**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

In a quiet village outside of London, not much happened. It was a lovely village filled with nice cottages people would dream of getting away to. It was home to a nice postman, a giving farmer and wonderful seamstresses. It was also the home to a young girl named Tessa, a maid for a household she had no desire of working for. See, Tessa came to England from New York, leaving her life there to go and live with her brother. Since her Aunt Harriett died, Tessa felt alone, like she had no one around her. So she came here, only to find that two old hags, who call themselves Mrs. Dark and Mrs. Black, abducted her. They told Tessa that if she did not obey their rules and accustoms then she will be punished...and so will her brother. You see, Tessa's brother, Nate, had a debt to pay.

They took Tessa to a small Inn in which the two owned on their own. Tessa was to work their until the debt was paid. She knew something was wrong with this arrangement the moment she arrived. The Dark Sisters, (Tessa's little name for the old hags), were very odd indeed. Customers would visit but they would never leave. One day, a man came into the Inn for a place to stay for the night on his travels. The Dark Sisters were very pleased to have another guest and were acting more than the usual fake pleasantness towards him. When Tessa was doing her rounds for the night before bed, she found the man had left his room, probably looking for someone. But before she could get his attention he was pulled into a room and his screams were muffled by something. When Tessa peaked into the room she saw the man struggling against the strength of the Dark Sisters, a strikingly white hand against his mouth. Mrs. Dark held a small shining object that glinted in the moonlight. A knife. She placed it against the mans neck and with one swift move, sliced his neck clean open.. Tessa gasped and her eyes widened when she saw the Dark Sisters stuff the man into a small hole in the floor - a shoot that went straight to the basement.

Since that night, Tessa daren't speak out about what she saw. She was scared that the Dark Sisters would do the same to her. But then they started asking her for something. They said there was a quicker way for her to help pay back her brothers debt.

Tessa scrubbed away at the dishes in the sink, awaiting the moment the Dark Sisters would come downstairs and demand their breakfast. 6 weeks she had been here, and Tessa couldn't take any more of it. She wanted to get away so badly. The only privilege Tessa had were her books, filled with stories about love and heroes rescuing damsels in distress. Tessa longed for the moment her brother would come and rescue her and they would finally be a family. But that moment never came, and Tessa was slowly losing hope of the future she wanted for herself.

The door to the kitchen burst open and Mrs. Dark came bounding in, Mrs. Black close behind her.

"Theresa, have you finished your chores?" asked Mrs. Dark, a crude expression on her face. Her lips were pursed, waiting for an answer.

Tessa shook, "I- I'm almost done with the dishes and then I must clean the fire place and-"

 _BANG!_ Mrs. Dark struck the table with a force that shook Tessa to her core. "Stupid girl," she cursed under her breath, "We do not have time to wait for you. You must come with us!"

Mrs. Black reached forward and took Tessa by the arm. Tessa tried to squirm from her grasp, but there was an almost inhumane grip Mrs. Black had, and she wasn't struggling against Tessa's retaliation.

Tessa knew what they wanted her for, "No," she whispered, "Please no. I don't want to do this again!" she cried, tears already staining her pale cheeks. "I can't bear it!"

Suddenly, Tessa felt her cheek heat up and only just realised that Mrs. Black had struck her in the face. Silence falled upon Tessa, trying to supress her tears, but more came streaming down her face. She couldn't help it. She felt as if she were living in hell.

Mrs. Black's face came into view of Tessa's, her cold fingers pressing hard into her chin. Tessa feared her nails would break the skin and come into contact with her blood. She struggled out of her grip, but more movement only caused more pain. "My dear," Mrs. Black sneared, with that fake sinister sweetness in her voice, "We only need you for a moment. Then you can retire to your room and return to your chores in the morning."

Tessa shook her head and tugged her hand away, harder, "Please, I beg you. I don't like it!" she cried.

Mrs Dark tutted, "Really, Tessa. Just comply, you know what happens when you don't." Tessa knew very well what happens if she doesn't comply. The last time this happened, Tessa took seven lashes to the back and then left in her room that night with no books, no food or water. The only time someone came into her room was when Amanda, the house receptionist, came in to clean her wounds. No words were exchanged, only the whimpering of Tessa's cries. She silently let the tears fall that night, clutching small pieces of paper containing the letters written to her brother. Letters she will never send. Letters he will never read.

Tessa thought for a moment, knowing she didn't want to go through all that again. Who knows what punishment they had in store for her if she defied them once more. Slowly, Tessa relaxed and held her head high as she was lead out of the kitchen and into the study. Sweat canvassed Tessa's skin, the door to the study coming into view.

Mrs. Dark shoved the young girl into the middle of the room and she remained there, standing, trembling for what was to be asked of her. No words were said from the Dark Sisters. Mrs. Black reached into the drawer of the brown oak desk and pulled out a small item. Tessa was scared. Memories of that terrible night weeks before came back to her mind. The way that mans eyes, full of fear, soon turned glassy and lifeless. She flinched, thinking it was to be the same knife, but instead, Mrs. Black pulled out a small pink cloth. When Tessa got a closer look, she realised it was a small piece of ribbon, clearly belonging to someone young.

Mrs. Black approached Tessa, a menacing grin all over her face. Tessa's motions stopped as Mrs. Black shoved the ribbon into her hand.

"Change, Miss. Gray," she demanded, "And don't make me ask twice."

A single tear fell down Tessa's face as she held the small ribbon in her hand. Her fingers trembled around the soft fabric as she tried to focus on her breathing, trying to calm herself down. But it didn't work; she was too afraid. Tessa whimpered slightly.

Mrs. Dark snapped, "Tessa really. I don't like to be kept waiting. Change, girl!"

Tessa flinched, not wanting to be hit again. She blocked out the Dark Sisters from her mind and focused on the small fabric in her hands. It was a nice shade of flushed pink, something a young girl, maybe around the age of 12, would wear. Tessa stroked the fabric between her finger tips, tampering into the memories it held and the moments it had experienced. Suddenly, Tessa's heart beat changed. It didn't belong to her. Tessa had the gift of changing her entire body into different people.

Before the Dark Sisters, there stood a young girl, aged 11, with long blonde hair tied into a braid down her back, and big, icy blue eyes surrounded by dark lashes. She was fairly pale and held her head high. She was still wearing Tessa's dress and she needed to clutch the dress in her hands to stop it from falling off her completely, she was so frail.

Mrs. Black stepped forward, staring the girl down with her cold eyes. "Good. Now tell me, what is your name?" she asked.

The voice that escaped the lips of the young girls body did not belong to Tessa. Her American accent had completely transformed into a noble British accent. "Katherine. Katherine White, Ma'am." Tessa was shocked by the voice that was heard. With the other times that she had to 'change' in front of the Dark Sisters, she had never gotten this far.

Mrs. Black took another step forward towards Tessa. She blinked out of her thought about her voice and noticed the cold woman staring her down. She wanted to move, she wanted to run, but she couldn't. Katherine's legs wouldn't budge.

As if reading her thoughts, Mrs. Black tilted her head and blinked, "What's the matter, child?" she asked, with that grin she mastered, "Why can't you move?"

Tessa started trembling within her mind, but Katherine stood still. Her hands stuck to her sides, the ribbon delicately enveloped in the fingers of her left hand. Katherine looked around her body, and to the ground. "I'm trapped in this circle."

The Dark Sisters didn't flinch. They just exchanged a menacing smile, as if they weren't surprised by Katherine's answer. All of a sudden, an ear shrieking scream escaped the lips of Katherine's mouth, causing the Dark Sisters to turn their heads towards her. Mrs. Black joined her sister, reaching out to Katherine.

"Don't touch her!" cried Mrs. Dark. "You can't interfere!"

Pain erupted in Tessa's mind, the change clearly affecting her brain. And Katherine's. She clutched her head, a wrenching headache pulling forward in her mind. Suddenly, Katherine's once icy blue eyes turned pink and filled with blood. It dripped down her face and onto Tessa's dress. Tessa felt this crushing pain in her chest. Clutching herself, she surged forward onto her hands and knees, her throat filling with the taste of iron. Within seconds, Tessa threw up a load of Katherine's blood, muffling her screams.

Tessa felt Katherine's heart beat ringing in her ears. She was in pain. And then she realised, Katherine was dying. Seconds passed, and Tessa's body began to relax back to her normal self. She could no longer feel the heartbeat belonging to Katherine, just the fast bump of her own. She looked down at her hands and noticed that they were hers. She had changed back. But, the blood that stained her fingers was not her own. Tessa's eyes fluttered shut from exhaustion, and sleep took her. And all Tessa could think about, was of the young girl who lost her life.

* * *

The halls of the Institute were bustling with life when Will woke up that morning. He could hear Agatha raging down the hallway getting the breakfast table ready. He had heard about the new guests arriving, though he had no clue who they were. They were around the same age as Jem and himself. Will wanted to meet them and set things straight...to not get in the way of his missions. He understood that it would have to be a brief meeting in the morning before he set out on his new mission. Thomas was preparing Balios in the stables, ready for a swift departure from the Institute to the village in Bishop's Wood.

"What part do you not understand?" cried Agatha from down the hall, leading to the kitchen, "Breakfast needs to be on the table before Mrs. Branwell and her husband have been seated. From there you are to stand on guard if any of the fellow Shadowhunters need anything. I swear to the Angel, you are useless sometimes, boy!"

Will followed the sound and peered into the kitchen, finding a very stern looking Agatha with a red face pointing and wagging her finger at a young boy, around age 14. Will had heard the kitchen staff hired someone new. Poor thing, having to be taken under Agatha's wing and taught a few lessons. Will was about to turn away when he saw a plate of delicious chocolate tarts to the side. Will licked his lips and took a tart right from under Agatha's nose.

"Oi, you!" she called, finding Will with his mouth full of chocolate. He laughed and took another one. "William Herondale, not before breakfast!" She ran after him, but Will was already gone. He headed the dining room where Jem and Jessamine, another Shadowhunter in the Institute who refuses to do any missions on account that she is a lady, already sitting in their places. There was spot right next to Jem and he took it. Kitchen staff all around them prepared the table and set out various breakfast items; sausages, black pudding, toast, eggs and more. The boy from the kitchen, the one that Agatha was screaming at, rushed out of the kitchen with his face screwed up in concentration as he carried a silver platter with tea cups on top. Clearly, he was trying not to drop anything. He succeeded, thankfully for his sake.

"Good morning, Jem," Will addressed. Then looked over to Jessamine, "Jessamine."

Jessamine barely lifted her head to look at him as she began to stir some sugar into her tea. "William."

Will and Jessamine didn't always have the best relationship. She was too pretentious for him and he was too cocky for her. They were completely the opposite. And Will didn't like the fact that he was mainly the only active Shadowhunter living in the Institute besides Mrs. Branwell and her husband, Henry. Jem was too ill on most occasions and Jessamine refuses to take any missions on.

Will sighed, and turned to Jem. "Sleep well?" he asked.

Jem nodded, looking up from his newspaper. "Yes thank you. Did you finish your report?" he asked.

The young boy from the kitchen set down two teacups between the two Shadowhunters along with the pot of tea. "Ah, yes I did. I dropped it off at Charlotte's office just this morning."

Jem smiled, "Good. You shouldn't leave your report too late, Will," he replied, "You could get Charlotte into a lot of trouble with the Clave."

Will ignored the comment with a smile and a wave of his hand. He began pouring himself and Jem some tea. "How are you feeing today, anyway?"

The cup of tea was steaming hot, and Jem was looking forward to be woken up by its taste, "A lot better actually. That health report has come through, Charlotte actually has a mission for me."

Will almost spat out his tea, "No kidding, that's great news!" he cried, a wide smile plastered on his face.

Jem waved him off, "It's nothing big," he replied, "Brother Enoch has discovered the murder of a young mundane girl in the back streets of Central London. I am to go investigate and report my findings." He reached beside him and handed Will his case file. It wasn't thick, only had a few pages.

Will scrunched his face in confusion, "A mundane murder," he began, setting his tea down and opening the file, "Why would that be a job for a Shadowhunter and not the mundane police force?" he asked.

All around the breakfast table, the staff were setting down the food just as Charlotte Branwell entered the room. The sudden door opened and the staff all bowed their heads in respect to the little woman with such high authority. She nodded to the kitchen staff in a silent thank you, and they all stood to the side against the walls, waiting to be of assistance. Jessamine was idolising herself in her small pocket mirror as a young man set food down on her plate. She was so high maintenance, Will wouldn't be surprised if she asked the poor man to feed her himself.

"Get this," said Jem, leaning towards Will and flicking to the page with the small picture of the girl, "When she was found, Brother Enoch noticed cuts all over her body in demon language, clearly she was used in some kind of summoning or ritual. Can't make heads or tails whether it was a success or not, they all tend to look like that. But in this case, a Shadowhunter is needed for this investigation-"

Charlotte cut the young man from continuing, "That's enough, please, Mr. Carstairs. You know how I don't like work talk at the breakfast table. It puts poor Jessamine off her appetite." Jem looked down shyly, a blush forming on his face as he sent an apologetic look to Jessamine, who only scowled at him in return. "Besides, we have two new guests arriving this morning from the Institute in Idris."

At that last bit of news everyone stopped eating. Even the staff stopped serving; new Shadowhunters were either fascinating or scary. Even though the mundane society were familiar with Shadowhunters, most humans were scared of them because they wreaked of death and despair, and every where they went blood followed. Even though they were there to protect the mundanes from danger, there were always innocent people caught in the crossfire.

"What are their names?" asked Jem, resuming his cup of tea.

Will frowned and narrowed his eyes. He knew a few people from the Idris Institute and he was dreading a person in particular.

Charlotte sat up straight, just at Henry walked through the door, scribbling notes into his book."Gideon and Gabriel Lightwood."

"Bollocks," muttered Will under his breath.

Henry nearly dropped his book, "I heard that William," he cried, flabbergasted. "Please refrain from that sort of language at the dinner table!"

Jem couldn't help but snigger and hide his laughter behind his teacup. He elbowed Will, and the two giggled together like two school girls. Jessamine scoffed, "Honestly, the two of you are like children."

Will rolled his eyes completely ignoring her and turned back to Charlotte, "Of all the Shadowhunters in the world, you had to pick those two. I mean, Gideon's not bad, but Gabriel is so full of himself. His head is practically up his arse; he loves himself that much!" And at that, Will earned another scowl from Henry.

Henry Branwell, and inventor who never really gets taken seriously by the Clave, is as much of a father to Will as butter is to sliced bread. He was quite close to the man and loved to hear about his inventions, even though half the time he was cooped up in his cellar all day long playing with his toys. The middle aged man was very eccentric and didn't have time to run the Institute, so the role was passed over to his wife, who is taken even less seriously than her husband.

Charlotte sighed, "Gideon and Gabriel are more than capable of helping the Institute and orchestrating a few investigations. We simply don't have the strength here to handle all cases so I've had no other option but to obtain more Shadowhunters."

Suddenly the doorbell rang through out the Institute, calling to the young maid Sophie. "That may be them now," continued Charlotte.

Moments later, the door to the dining room opened and Sophie peaked her head through and opened the door wider to allow the two men behind her access to the room. "Gideon and Gabriel Lightood, Mrs. Branwell," she said, bowing and introducing them.

The two young men stepped into the light. Charlotte hadn't seen the Lightwood brothers in a very long time and they had done a lot of growing up. Gabriel, the youngest brother had grown into a young, handsome man at the age of 18. With all his training, his muscles have grown and his light brown hair looked more tousled than usual. His eyes were big and green, yet slightly condescending and arrogant. Gideon was actually quite the opposite, his features weren't as sharp as Gabriel. Even with the same coloured eyes, his were more kinder and understanding. He was considerably taller than Gabriel even at the age of 20. He held himself high, appearing to be more mature than he would be, especially more gentleman like than Gabriel.

"Thank you, Sophie," said Charlotte, standing up from her chair and greeting the two Shadowhunters. "Welcome back to the Institute, Gabriel, Gideon. I haven't seen the two of you since you were young teenage boys!" she cried. Gideon blushed at the thought, yet Gabriel only showed off a smug smile. "Please, sit. Have some tea or breakfast if you haven't already had something."

It was Gideon who spoke before his brother got the chance, "We have already had breakfast in Idris. But tea would be lovely, thank you, Mrs. Branwell."

Charlotte smiled, "Please call me Charlotte. We're Shadowhunters, aren't we. We're not as formal as we think we are."

Gabriel sat opposite of Will and Gideon next to him. If looks could kill, Gabriel would be dead by now. Will's blue eyes turned to ice as he stared down the ' _Lightworm_ ' with such conviction. After a few moments and a couple of slices of toast later, Will stood up from his seat, pushing his chair back with a screech. "Well as much asI would love to sit here in this awkward silence, I have somewhere to be."

Charlotte perked up, "Wouldn't you care to stay a little longer William," she said, "The Lightwoods have only just got here."

Will raised his eyebrows and looked at the smug face belonging to Gabriel. "Would I care?" he asked, with fake wonder. "No."

* * *

Even after the Silent Brother had declared Jem fit for the field once more, he was still cautious of his health. He made sure he had a large breakfast, giving him more energy in case a demon were to appear on the streets of London. Before he had left his room to go on his mission, he was stopped by the young house maid, Sophie. A grief stricken look on her face, fearing for something. "Please be careful, Mr. Carstairs," she had said, taking his hand lightly in hers. Sophie was always kind to Jem, yet it was more in a sympathetic, let-me-take-care-of-you kind of way, rather than the romantic kind.

The carriage belonging to the Institute stopped in front of the local cathedral where the Silent Brother resides in. No one goes to the cathedrals any more, mainly for the reason most Silent Brothers live in them. The rest all live in the City of Bones, working for the Clave, while the ones living in cathedrals and churches worked for the Institutes. From the outside, it looked abandoned, thick fog gathering around each of the graves making a slight chill in the air. Jem wasn't afraid; he had endured worse as he was trained to.

The door to the cathedral opened and the grey hooded figure stood in the door way; Brother Enoch, the local Silent Brother to the London Institute. Jem clutched the case file in his arms, approaching the cathedral.

 _James Carstairs_ the Silent Brother murmured into his mind. _I trust you are feeling better_.

Jem nodded, finally reaching the cathedral doors. The Silent Brother opened the doors wide for Jem to step through, and without exchanging words, led him to a room at the back behind the pue. Inside the room, there was a dark brown table in the centre, a white sheet laid across it and the outline of a small body underneath. Jem bit back a taste of disgust. He hated the thought of a young mundane girl being caught up in this mess. He hated them as much as Will did.

 _I trust you have looked at the case file?_ asked the Silent Brother, stepping around the table and uncovering her body, leaving her face. The young girl was naked underneath the cloth, showing off all kinds of demonic symbols. She was very pale and young for someone so battered and bruise. Jem felt sick to his stomach, taking his eyes off the girl and onto his case file.

Clearing his throat, Jem continued, "Yes. Her name is Katherine White, am I correct?" he asked.

The Silent Brother nodded and pointed to the marks all over her body. _These markings are of the demon language. I know very little but enough to know that they are very powerful and very dangerous._ He went on to point at one of the markings. _This one here is used to summon demons, obviously this girl was used as part of the summoning._ He then pointed to another one. _But this one_ , he continued, the mark intricate with swirls in all directions, _I have done some research, and this symbol is used to ensure the demon attaches itself to a vessel in order for them to survive in the mundane world properly._

Jem was taken aback, "Are you saying demons are walking freely in this world under our noses. They're possessing people? That kind of demonic power hasn't been used in hundreds of years!" he exclaimed, almost dropping his case file.

The Silent Brother shook his head, _I believe a group of individuals are wanting to bring that technique back, but for what reason? I can't say for sure._ "

The only silence in the room was the scribbling of Jem's pencil against the notes in his file. "So we must find out the reason; why would Downworlders summon demons in order to possess mundanes?" Jem thought to himself.

Brother Enoch caught his eye and he stopped writing, _I don't believe this was the result in Downworlders involvement._

Jem blinked, realising, "You think it could be mundanes? What makes you say that?"

A chill ran down Jem's spine as Brother Enoch uncovered the girls face. Jem had to do everything just to contain his breakfast in his stomach. The girls eyes were gone, completely burned out of their sockets. Dried blood surrounded her eyes and mouth, crusty from not being cleaned away.

"What happened here?" has asked, his voice trembling.

Brother Enoch sensed Jem's discomfort and covered the girl up, _I believe the demon was too powerful for the fragile body of Katherine White. The power was too much for her and her body broke out, the demon completely killing her. What happened here is the work of carelessness. Downworlders weren't sloppy when it came to mundane possessing._

"What happened to the demon?" Jem asked, "Is he roaming around the streets of London?"

Brother Enoch shook his head, _I don't think so. I would have sensed it. Besides, the demon needs to be in a protective circle before being able to possess a mundane body. Failure to do so, most likely, sends the demon back to the Void, thus being unable to escape the circle._

A breath of relief escaped Jem's lips as he jotted down some more notes. "I must report my findings to Mrs. Branwell. You and I will be in touch." Jem flipped his case file shut and turned towards the door. Before his hand had even touched the door, Brother Enochs voice spoke to him, solemly.

 _Katherine's family haven't been informed yet._

Jem turned, his eyes full of sorrow. He knew he would need to be the one to do it. If it were Brother Enoch, he would scare the poor mundanes to death. It was better a Shadowhunter do it. As representative of the London Institute, and head of this case, it was his duty to break the news to family members and lay comfort to some grief.

* * *

Cold. All around her body, Tessa felt cold. She had woken up in her bathtub, the water slightly pink from the blood that had been washed off her body. Her clothes had been destroyed and a fresh dress was prepared for her, for when she woke up. Tessa had no recollection of ending up in the bath, but someone had obviously stripped her and washed her body for her.

Shakingly, Tessa stepped out of the bath and onto the hard, wooden floor. Her knees gave way slightly and she held the tub for support. After getting herself dried and dressed, there were a list of chores on her bed that was written by the Dark Sisters. In her condition, Tessa didn't think she would be able to manage all the labour. Her stomach was nearly empty and her fingers couldn't stop shaking. But she didn't want another whipping.

Her first chore was to clean the stables and muck out the horses belonging to guests. Yes, her chore was to be taken place outside. When Tessa was first given this chore she took the first opportunity she had and ran for her life away from the inn. But something stopped her. A baracade of energy that blasted through her body. From further investigation she found a line drawn in a complete circle surrounding the inn itself. She was trapped. Forever.

Outside, the stable was filled with three horses belonging to travellers. Who knew how long they were staying? Who knew if they were even alive? Tessa clung to the side of the stables for support. She was still a little light headed. In one of the cabinets off to the side, there was a small jar of sugar cubes. Tessa managed to take one and place it in her mouth, sending a rush through her body. She heard the horses whinny behind her, and felt it was only fair to treat them as well.

But then, Tessa realised, that they weren't up for sugar cubes. They weren't whinnying at all. They were definitely skittish about something.

"What?" she asked them, as they were the only one's she could really talk to. "What's the matter with you all?"

Suddenly, Tessa heard the crunching of straw behind her. She whirled around and was met with a pair of blue eyes and an ice cold blade to her throat.

* * *

 **Sorry it took so long. I had the first part of the story all laid out and then completely stumped on the rest!**

 **Special thanks to Missawesome03 for reviewing and helping me with my ideas, and for listening to my plans for the story!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review and tell me what you think or if you have any questions!**

 **-Brokegirl97**


	4. Chapter Three

**I'm sorry it's been so long. It's been a long and stressful few months but the third chapter is finally here. Pleeeeeeeease forgive me! But I hope you like it, please tell me what you think!**

* * *

Chapter Three

The pounding of the hooves on Balios got slower and slower as Will approached the village outside London. It was bustling with life for an early afternoon and hardly anyone paid attention to a lone Shadowhunter on a horse, trotting through the streets. Half of them were walking in front of the horse, not even acknowledging Will's existence; mainly because he was wearing a long brown coat over his gear and the runes on his neck were covered by a scarf. He wanted to be subtle, he wanted this to be an easy hunt for the Warlock girl.

Will looked around at the different houses and plots of land around him. To his right, as you came into the village there was the farmers market, and Will could hear the farmer showing off all kinds of vegetables to the crowd surrounding him. To his left he found the tavern, or pub if you prefer to call it. Will figured it might be a nice idea to head there after his hunt was dealt with. Further along the road there was the village Church that Brother Micah resided in. There were people visiting graves and a funeral was happening as well. Clearly the mundanes of this village didn't care that a Silent Brother was living in the Church. Normally mundanes would steer clear of them. Far down the road, along a cobbled pathway there was the Inn.

The Inn was a tall building with at least three floors but Will assumed that there would probably be a basement. The village looked old and buildings like these normally have basements; pay for more space, but don't have to pay for windows. The Inn looked eerie, as if it didn't belong in the town. Everything else was nice and vibrant yet this place looked dull but interesting, as if it held lots of secrets inside. Will couldn't imagine anyone wanting to stay in a place like this. _He_ didn't want to stay in a place like this. But then again, to the Warlock girl, it must feel like home to her.

Will hitched Balios up to the fence alongside a bench so he could examine his casefile one last time. There wasn't much to go on this Warlock, not even a portrait of her. Only that she was around 16 or 17, Will's age, and that she has long brown hair. She appeared taller than the average girl, but not considerably and that she is the only one the Silent Brother has seen in or out of the Inn.

Suddenly, Will felt a headache coming on. No, it wasn't a headache. It was like something was inside his mind. He was familiar with this feeling. It was when a Silent Brother was trying to speak with them. Will slammed his case file shut and unhitched Balios. He didn't ride him. Will felt the loyal horse needed a break, so he guided him towards the Church where he hitched him up to the tree just outside the cobble stoned wall. Within the graves, the funeral Will had saw earlier was still happening.

"And though young Peter found himself in the hands of the Lord, we will never forget the way he smiled and made us laugh. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, and this case, it was young Peter. May he be laid to rest in the hands of God. Let us pray."

Will tried his best not to disturb or cause disrespect as he reached the door of the church. It was quiet inside and dark except for the light coming from a room just to the right of the alter. Silent Brothers don't show their faces often, because of the way they look. They never spooked Will, but get on the wrong side of one and you're in for a world of hell.

As Will approached the door he could see the figure of Brother Micah standing at his desk with at least a dozen candles surrounding him. There were lots of papers around him and in his hand he held a piece of parchment similar to the one Will had in his file. It seemed the Silent Brother was doing a little investigation of his own.

"Brother Micah," said Will, greeting the ancient Silent Brother. He didn't know exactly how old Brother Micah was, but judging by his voice, that Will so solemnly heard in his head, he carried such wisdom only a man who had lived a hundred lifetimes could know.

The Silent Brother turned to see the Shadowhunter leaning against the door way. _William Herondale. I see Mrs. Branwell got my letter of request. I take it you're here about the Warlock girl._

Will nodded, moving towards Brother Micah and looking down at the papers on his desk. "Has anything new happened since you sent the letter? Any new information?"

 _Yes._ Brother Micah handed Will some pieces of paper. _These are several missing persons logged from within the town. They have been happening more frequently lately which is why I've called upon your services._

Will looked over the papers thoroughly. There was nothing special about the missing people; the age ranged from as young as 12 to as old as 48, men and women. "Are these victims picked at random, do you think?" he asked.

The Silent Brother circled his desk and sat in his chair, _Yes_ , he began, _apart from the fact they have been seen entering the Inn for any reason and haven't been seen since._

"So you think it's the Warlock girl taking them, but for what?" he asked.

Brother Micah shook his head, _For reasons I do not know._

Will handed the missing persons back to Brother Micah, "I shall investigate the Inn, see if I can dispose of this Warlock once and for all."

He turned to leave, but was stopped by Brother Micah, _Be careful, William. This place you're going to…I don't like it. Something dark is happening there._

* * *

Finding a spot just away from Village Inn, Will settled up against a tree, Balios securely tied to one of the branches. Will promised that he will come back once he has done his job. Will hung his coat up on top of Balios and took out his case file. There was no level for this girl, so Will didn't know how to assess the darkness Brother Micah was going on about. Considering she was around the same age as him, how dangerous could she be?

He packed his case file back into his bag, leaving Balios tied to the tree along with his coat and belongings, and headed towards the Inn. The only items he was carrying were two seraph blaces, his stele and his witchlight, all hidden away inside his belt and trouser pocket.

As Will approached the Inn, he noticed something strange about the property. It was eerily quiet and he didn't like that. It sent a chill up his body.

A chill? That wasn't a chill. A rush of energy went through Will's body and there was a change in the atmosphere. Will stumbled slightly and gathered his bearings as he looked around. _What in the Angel?_ he thought. Will shook his head, wondering if it was the demon energy that caused the change, considering her was getting closer to the Inn.

He turned back and he could see it. It was a very large Inn, with a moderately sized stables around to the side. There were no lights on in the Inn...it looked rather dark and gloomy. Will wondered who would want to stay here. Suddenly, Will saw movement towards the stable. Very quickly, he drew out his steel and revealed his arm, sketching a quick _vision_ rune to enhance his sight. When the rune kicked in, he could see it was a young girl tending to the horses. She had long brown hair tumbling in waves down her back. She was wearing a grey dress with a black pinafore. She looked ordinary and she fit the description. Will moved quickly, swiftly dodging anything that would make a sound.

Will got closer and he could hear the young girl speaking to the horses.

"What?" she asked them. Will realised the horses didn't like his presence. They could sense his Nephilim blood and they were scared. They were normal horses and they were nothing like the ones permitted to the Shadowhunters. "What's the matter with you all?" she asked, as Will took out his seraph blade and moved against the crunchy straw.

The young girl turned around, catching Will's eyes as he pushed her against the stable walls and placed his cold seraph blade on the girls pale neck.

"Don't move, and I'll make it quick."

* * *

Tessa stood, wide eyed. She did not move; she did not cry. She felt slightly hopeful, that this man, this Angel in front of her, could end it all; the suffering, the torture, the mistreatment and injustice. Tessa's eyes started to water. She thought of her Aunt, wanting to see her one last time. She steadied her breathing and in that moment, shut her eyes.

"Get it over with," she said, and Tessa heard the young assassin gasp ever so slightly. Then she opened her eyes. His expression changed. He was curious about something. Maybe he wasn't expecting that kind of response. "You said you'd make it quick? Please, I can't take this anymore. If you're going to kill me, then get it over with."

The man was taken aback, and his grip on his blade softened as he studied Tessa. She felt impatient. "You are here to kill me, aren't you?" she asked.

The man lowed his blade, "What are you so afraid about?"

Tessa swallowed the lump in her throat, "You're not going to kill me?" she asked, furrowing her brows.

The man grew more agitated, "Give me an answer!"

Suddenly, Tessa heard a banging from the Inn and the door flying wide open. Her heart sunk as she heard the screeching voice of the Dark Sisters, "Tessa! Where are you?"

Tessa gasped, her heart quickening. She turned to the boy, "There's your answer!" she cried, "Now if you're not here to kill me, then get me out of here."

* * *

It took Will a moment to consider his options. Should he take the girl to safety or kill her where she stood? It was his duty and his mandate to eliminate Downworlders who were a threat to mundane society. But was she a threat? She was scared of something…and judging by that voice he heard coming from the Inn, she was scared of _someone_.

The girl turned to Will and said, "Please! She's coming, please take me away from here!"

Will was frazzled but in that moment he looked at the girl; truly looked at her. Her grey eyes were strikingly frantic, holding weeks of torture and tears. She wore a necklace around her neck that resembled a golden Angel. She was shaking the girl, out of fear for her life. Will took a second and decided she was actually quite beautiful.

"Helping you was never my intention," he began, taking her arm and leading her away from the Inn heading towards the back streets of the village. "But if you need safety from a threat even bigger than yourself, then I can take you away from the village and into the City. From there you must go into hiding, because if a Shadow-"

He stopped. Something stopped him. Will and the girl were out in the open and yet they couldn't go any further.

"What is this?" he asked, to no one in particular. Will stretched his hand out and felt the presence of a shield, normally designed to protect something but in this case, it was to keep something in. He turned to the girl next to him, "How long has this been here?" he asked, gesturing to the shield.

The girl shook her head, franticly, "I don't know, ever since I got here. It goes all the way around from what I know. What is it?"

Will looked around the property of the Inn. Just beyond the trees he could see the Inn. And someone was moving around the outside. "It's a barrier," he replied, keeping his eyes on the Inn. "At least now we know why the missing people haven't been seen. They can't leave."

"Missing people?" asked the girl.

Will looked at her with his eyebrows raised, "Like you didn't know?" he said, with more disgust than he intended, "They've been coming here and never been seen again. Men, women and children all because of you."

"Me!?" the girl cried, earning herself a 'SHHH!' from Will. She lowered her voice. "I know of a few travellers who have come to the Inn for a place to stay but it's not me who's harming them."

Will scoffed, "If it's not you," he replied, "then who is it?"

"Tessa! Where have you run off to?" cried a voice, different from the first one. There were two of them. "You know you can't run, dear!"

Will cursed under his breath. When he stretched his hand out towards the barrier he felt the shock running through his fingers. Next, he pulled out his _stele_ from his belt, the basic tool for any Shadowhunter, and drew a simple _open_ rune, at least giving it a go.

When he drew the rune against the barrier, it wavered slightly until there was a moment it looked at is if was going to disappear, but Will underestimated the strength of the barrier. It made him wonder who put it there. Definitely Warlocks, he thought. Maybe it was this young girl.

"Is there another way out? We can't seem to go through so maybe we can go underneath this?" Will asked the girl.

She seemed to think for a moment, then she tensed up slightly. "All I know is there's a basement under the Inn. There are tunnels leading all over the village, but I haven't been down them. I never dared."

Will furrowed his eyebrows, but shook it off. "It's our best shot."

* * *

Tessa guided the young man to the far side of the house, around the back. She had to be cautious of the windows and anyone in sight, in case the Dark Sisters ever saw her. Behind the house there was a small hatch leading down into the basement. It was an easier way of getting in without having to go through the house. Tessa began to pull on the handle but found that it was chained shut.

"It's locked," she said, turning to the man, "I don't know where to go next."

The man moved her out of the way and told her to keep watch. Next think Tessa heard was the lock breaking and the chain falling to the floor. When she saw what he had done, the hatch was already open and the chain was undone.

"How did you do that?" she asked, but gasped when the young man took her hand and pulled her closer to him.

He was right in her face, glaring into her big grey eyes. His were a deep set of blue, like pools of the deep ocean. Tessa could get lost in eyes like his.

"If this is a trap," he growled, "I'll kill you." And proceeded down the steps into the basement, shutting the hatch behind them.

Will held the girl tightly by the arm, his witchlight in the other, guiding him through the winding pathways of the basement. They never spoke a word of conversation. The girl in his arm daren't provoke him as he threatened her, and Will could feel the tension between them. They had been walking for ages, is there a way out?

Just before Will was about to give up hope, he and the girl turned a corner and right in front of them were a set of double doors. A symbol was etched on the both doors. The symbol was of two snakes, connected by mouth and tail, forming a circle, and Will knew exactly what that symbol mean.

" _Ouroboros."_

The girl frowned, "What did you say?" she asked.

Will stayed silent for a moment. What was that symbol doing there? It only meant one thing…trouble. Gingerly, Will pushed the double doors open and, using his witchlight, illuminated the room with a white glow.

Next to him, the girl nearly shrieked with horror if it hadn't been for Will putting his hands over her mouth. Will had seen plenty of crap in his lifetime as a Shadowhunter, but never had he seen something so grotesque. The smell was almost unbearable.

Human bodies were laid out on long wooden tables, rows of them to be precise. There must have been over a dozen. Innocent people that were slaughtered, blood oozed and stained the tables and along the many, sharp metal objects around the room. A white sheet covered the bodies all the way up to their necks, but it didn't help to cover the damage already done.

"By the Angel," Will gasped, as the girl tried to supress any cries. Will recognised the faces. These are all the missing people reported. He remembered them from the case file Brother Micah gave to him.

Suddenly there was a thunderous shriek that nearly shook the inn around them. It sounded almost like a cackle and they were calling someone's name.

"TESSAAAA!"

Tessa? Oh yes, it was the name of the girl Will was accompanied by. _She's a warlock,_ Will thought. _Be sure to remember that._ But who was screaming?

"It's them!" cried Tessa. "We need to find a way out of here."

Searching around the room, using the witchlight as their one source of light. There was one door that appeared to be locked, and no amount of runes could open it. Frustration crossed Will's face. They were running out of time. Will found another door to the other side of the room, but as he was about to put his hands on the handle, there was a bang on the other side of the double doors. And another. _Bang. Bang._

"Tessa!" shrieked the voice from before.

Will found Tessa stepping backwards, with her hands over her mouth, trying not to scream. They were after her. What do they want with her?

"Tessa!"

 _Bang._

Will tried the door in front of him, but cursed when he found it locked. Before he could say anything, the double doors bust open, almost coming off of its hinges. Before them stood two white haired, scrawny faced women in full length black gowns. They looked similar. Any relation.

"Tessa, dear," said the one on the left, with a sinister grin, "Did you really think you could run down here and find a way to escape?"

The other one next to her said nothing. She wasn't glaring at Tessa, she was glaring at Will. Her eyes cold, almost like steel.

"Shadowhunter!" she spat, disgust dripping from her words.

Will stepped forward and retrieved his seraph blade from his side, unleashing it's bright blade. "So this is your doing," he said, gesturing to the people around him on tables. "What is this?" he asked, "Some kind of experiment."

The two women grinned widely, "Let's just call it that."

"They're monsters!" Tessa cried, tears streaming down her face.

Her outburst only earned a cackle from the women, before they straightened their faces. "You get the girl," said the right one, "I'll take care of the Nephilim boy."

* * *

Mrs. Branwell. Being head of the Institute was a difficult job as everything, even the lives of Shadowhunters and the humans in her country, fell atop of her shoulders. Letters would come flooding in through the Institute doors, asking for Shadowhunters or sanctuary within the Institute. Charlotte wished she could help everyone but there simply wasn't enough man power nor space. And there were regulations and rules in place. The Clave were very touchy when it came to people asking for sanctuary. If there village was overrun with demons or downworlders, or if a family had lost their home and had nowhere to go to, then they would seek refuge within the Institute.

But the Clave didn't believe humans should enter the Institute, unless they were to pledge their fealty to the Shadowhunters and their cause. But or a place to stay….no. The Clave believed, that, once the threat of society was eliminated, then a Shadowhunter has done his/her duty. What happens after doesn't exist to them.

Charlotte sighed as she sat at her desk and stared down at all the documents and letters in front of her. By the Angel, she just wanted to curl up into a ball.

There was a knock on her study door. Charlotte took a breath and straightened up. "Yes?"

The door opened and in came Sophie, her head peering around the door. "Brother Michael here to see you, Mrs. Branwell."

Charlotte nodded, "Thank you, Sophie. Please send him." Sophie opened the door wider and in came Brother Michael, a Silent Brother who took residence in the village Will visited on his last mission. The one with the young girl. "Brother Michael," greeted Charlotte, standing up and offering the seat in front of her desk to the ancient Silent Brother.

 _Thank you, Charlotte._

"I see you got my letter. How is the village fairing?" she asked.

The Silent Brother took a deep breath, _I want to tell you the village is safe but it's not. There are other demons being spotted in the surrounding area, and I fear the village may be under attack once more. I alone can't simply fight them, I don't know how many of them are out there._

Charlotte nodded, "I understand that something needs to done, Brother Michael. How many Shadowhunters do you require?"

 _I only ask for the one Shadowhunter: William Herondale._

Everyone asks for Will. "I'm sorry," replied Charlotte, "Unfortunately, Will has been called for another mission. I do, however, have two more Shadowhunters living in the Institute; the Lightwood Brother. Would they suffice?"

The Silent Brother nodded. _Of course, I understand the Lightwood family are exceptional Shadowhunters._

"Absolutely," Charlotte agreed, "As are the Herondales. I hear Will's younger sister, Cecily, will soon be joining us once her training is complete. I hear she has achieved exception marks."

 _Yes_ , replied the Silent Brother, _I believe she may be better than her brother._

All Charlotte could do was agree with him, she knew she needed to get the conversation growing. "I hate to get straight to business, Brother Michael, but I need to bring up an urgent matter with you. As you know, a substantial amount of demon attacks have been happening more recently up and down the country, and it's only a matter of time before the Clave take action. I wanted to get your insight on these attacks, since your village was the last targeted."

Brother Michael paced around for a few moments, _I have noticed the rise in demon activity, however, the way these attacks are formulating it appears they are strategized. Demon's don't have a sense for things like that. They see prey and they attack. But these attacks have targets and they are mainly large families. Demons aren't smart but they are powerful. I believe someone is wanting to control them._

Charlotte blinked, concerned, "Do you have any idea how it could be?" she asked.

The brother shook his head, _I have not. But someone is dabbling in the art of demon magic._

* * *

Tessa screamed as Mrs. Dark came for her. She searched for something on the table she could use as a weapon. Before she reached for, what she gathered was a saw, Mrs Dark grabbed hold of her by the arms and pulled her away from the table, pushing her to the floor where she slammed her body hard. Mrs. Black was being taken care of by the young man who saved her. What was his name? His movement was impeccable, almost inhuman. What did Mrs Black call him earlier? Nephilim?

Tessa tried to pull herself up, but something pulled her up by her hair. She screamed and immediately found Mrs Dark, her hand clutched within Tessa's locks. "You little bitch!" sneered Mrs Dark, trying to drag Tessa back through the double doors, but was stopped with a blade whizzed past Mrs Dark and embedded itself into the door frame.

The young man had thrown the dagger as a way of grabbing Mrs Dark's attention, as he held his long silver blade high in the air, bringing it down on Mrs Black neck, slicing her head clean off.

Mrs Dark shrieked and threw Tessa to the floor, banging her head. Mrs Dark cried out for her accomplice, obviously there was a mere friendship between the two of them. "I'll get you for this, Shadowhunter!" she spat, before rushing through the doors and out of sight.

Tessa's head was pounding, as she struggled to pull herself into a sitting position. She suddenly felt strong arms around her and a faint sent of musk hit her nostrils. She looked up and a deep set of blue eyes were staring down into hers. This had happened before, but she this time there was no blade against her throat. His eyes were full of concern.

"Hey," he began, "Stay with me."

But she couldn't. Darkness took over before she could ask her saviour his name.

* * *

 **I'm so happy I finally got this chapter going. Sorry for its been a long time but I hope you enjoyed it**

 **Brokegirl97**


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